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CHAPTER NINETEEN

ETHAN

W e had two more drinks before arriving at the flagship store on Madison Avenue. Predictably, Henry and I were more than a little tipsy. They led us toward the back, where Oliver and Sebastian were waiting—Oliver trying on his suit, while Sebastian lounged in one of the plush chairs, sipping whiskey and looking fucking incredible, as usual.

“In the spirit of brotherhood, I’ll preface this by saying Ethan and I went for a drink beforehand, and we might’ve had too many,” Henry announced the moment we were within earshot.

I tried to stifle my laughter but failed miserably.

Oliver and Sebastian exchanged equally amused looks.

“You look like a fucking ten, Oli,” Henry said, refusing the glass of whiskey brought to him. “No thanks, doll. I won’t remember any of this if I keep it up,” he added, winking at the attendant.

“I’m so sorry,” I said to Oliver.

But he just shook his head with a smile. “I’m sorry my brothers have been such a terrible influence.”

I shrugged and glanced at Sebastian. He gave me a warm smile and a wink, and all I wanted to do was climb onto his lap.

“They’re alright,” I said casually, earning a sigh from Oliver, though he was still smiling. “You really do look great. Char’s going to love the suit,” I added.

“Yeah, you think?” Oliver asked, his face lighting up at the mention of my sister. Henry had been right—Oliver was completely smitten. It was genuinely nice to see him so happy.

“I’m sure of it,” I assured him.

“Go try yours on,” Oliver suggested, nodding toward the changing rooms.

“Did you get yours already?” Henry asked Sebastian.

“Yes,” Sebastian replied simply, walking over to Oliver and smoothing his hands over his brother’s shoulders as he studied the fit in the mirror. “It could be a little tighter here—nothing excessive,” he said to the tailor.

Oliver didn’t argue, just nodded along.

“You’re not supposed to upstage the groom,” Henry said, smirking.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Sebastian replied calmly.

“You wouldn’t, but you’re still going to. You look much better in a suit than either of us,” Oliver said, rolling his eyes.

“Nonsense. You look dashing, Oli,” Sebastian said, his tone sincere.

I couldn’t help but smile. I loved how sweet he was with his brothers.

“This way,” an attendant said, gesturing to the changing rooms.

“Lead the way. Come on, E,” Henry said, beckoning me to follow.

I glanced back at Sebastian one last time before heading off.

When Henry and I emerged, Oliver had changed again and was sitting next to Sebastian, both of them nursing drinks.

Sebastian stopped mid-conversation when he saw me, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Wow,” he said simply.

Oliver turned toward us, curious.

Heat rushed to my face, and I avoided looking at them, instead focusing on the mirror as the tailor began adjusting the fit.

“I know, I look like a fucking dream,” Henry said, standing beside me. “You know what? I think I’ll have that drink after all,” he added, tugging at his collar.

“It needs a little cinching at the waist, I think,” Sebastian said as he approached Henry.

An attendant handed Henry his drink, which he downed in one go.

Sebastian frowned.

“What about Mr. Bennett?” the tailor asked Sebastian, gesturing toward me.

Sebastian shook his head. “Nothing. He looks perfect. Maybe just check the hem,” he said quickly, glancing at me before turning back to Henry, who was still tugging at his collar.

“Stop that,” Sebastian said, gently swatting Henry’s hands away and adjusting the collar himself.

“I can’t breathe. It’s too fucking tight,” Henry complained as the tailor moved to check it.

“Why are you so fidgety? Stay still,” Sebastian said firmly.

Henry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I just need a drink.”

Sebastian’s gaze flicked to me briefly before stepping closer to Henry. “Are you okay?”

Henry chuckled, but it sounded high and strained. “I’m fucking fine. I just need to loosen this and get another drink,” he said, pressing his lips together.

Oliver stood up, concern etched on his face.

“Maybe I’m getting cold feet,” Henry joked weakly.

“Funny, considering you’re not the one getting married,” Sebastian said dryly. “Can you give us a minute?” he asked the tailor, who nodded and stepped away.

Henry sighed, undoing the button at his throat.

“What’s going on with you?” Oliver asked gently, stepping closer.

Henry looked like he wanted to shrink away from both of them. I’d never seen him like this before. He had been fine a moment ago—drinking a little more than usual, but nothing alarming.

“I broke up with Tara. I need to find another date for your wedding, I guess. Maybe it’s just that. Or this fucking collar is too tight,” Henry said, his tone defensive.

“Henny,” Sebastian said softly.

“I’m fucking fine, Ash,” Henry snapped. “I had too much to drink. I hated the location. The gin was good, and it kept coming. And I told Ethan about Trent, and then...I just started losing count,” he confessed, his voice quieter now.

Both Sebastian and Oliver’s faces paled.

“We’ll reschedule Henry’s fitting,” Oliver said quickly, shooting Sebastian a meaningful look before walking away.

“I’m fine,” Henry insisted again, though his voice cracked slightly.

“Let’s get you out of that suit. I’ll take you home,” Sebastian said, his tone soothing.

“I don’t need to go home,” Henry protested, frowning.

“I know you don’t, but we’ll go anyway. We can have another drink there. How’s that?” Sebastian said, his voice filled with patient kindness.

Henry exhaled loudly, shaking his head. “Fine. Let’s go change.”

Sebastian ushered him toward the changing rooms, and I watched them leave, feeling utterly helpless.

Oliver returned, his frown still firmly in place.

“I’m so sorry, Oli. I asked him about it. I had no idea,” I said quickly.

He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it—it’s not your fault.”

I still felt awful.

Sebastian returned alone. “I’m going to drive him home. Can you take my car?” he asked Oliver, holding out the keys.

“Sure. I’ll come with you,” Oliver offered.

“You’ve got the Kenwood meeting. You can’t miss it. I’ll take him, and I’ll fill you in later, okay?” Sebastian insisted.

Oliver sighed but eventually nodded, taking the keys. “Do you need a ride?” he asked me.

“I’ll take him. Ethan’s on the way to Henry’s,” Sebastian said absently.

Oliver gave him a look but ultimately shrugged. “Go change, kid,” he said to me.

I nodded and headed off, feeling the weight of it all settle heavily in my chest.

* * *

Sebastian drove in silence, his jaw tight and his hands gripping the wheel a little too tightly. He didn’t stop to drop me off at my place or even ask about it—he just headed straight to Henry’s apartment.

When we arrived, Henry slumped onto the couch as soon as we stepped inside. Sebastian headed to the kitchen and returned with a drink, which Henry accepted gratefully, taking a small sip.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Henry said, giving me a side glance while Sebastian left the room to take a call.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted quickly.

Henry shook his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, E. It was that fucking suit. It was too tight,” he said, his jaw clenching as he spoke.

I frowned but nodded, knowing better than to push him.

Over the next couple of hours, Henry had a few more drinks while Sebastian and I talked to him about anything and everything, carefully avoiding the subject we all knew lingered in the background. By the time nearly a bottle of whiskey was gone, Sebastian stood, helping Henry to his feet.

“Come on, Henny. Let’s get you to bed,” he said softly, leading him to his room to sleep it off.

Left alone, I stepped out onto the terrace and took out my vape, my hands trembling. I had no idea what I’d walked into tonight, but it was clear Henry was carrying something heavier than he let on. The way he’d downplayed it unsettled me.

Sebastian joined me after a while, lighting his own cigarette. The way his hand tightened around the lighter and his stiff posture told me he was just as affected.

“Ash, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he was going to get this upset,” I said quickly.

He shook his head and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “There’s no way you could have known,” he said, dropping his arm over my shoulders.

“Trent was the guy who hurt him?” I asked, trying to piece it all together.

Sebastian nodded, his face hardening. “Yeah. That’s him.”

“We were talking and Henry told me he had a bad experience.”

“That’s usually how he phrases it,” Sebastian said, his voice tightening. One hand gripped the banister so tightly his knuckles were white, and his lips pressed into a thin, grim line.

“That wasn’t what happened, was it?”

Sebastian shook his head, exhaling smoke slowly. For a while, he said nothing, shifting his weight between his feet. When he crushed his cigarette under his heel, he lit another one immediately.

“It’s not my story to tell, darling. If Henny wants to tell you, that’s his choice. But, yeah. It wasn’t good.”

That was the understatement of the century.

“What happened to the guy?”

“After I took Henny to the hospital. He wouldn’t talk about it, but the doctors filled us in. Oli and I tried to get our dad to press charges, but he refused. Didn’t want people to find out. It was easier for him to pretend it never happened.” Sebastian paused, his voice growing colder with each word.

My chest tightened painfully as I listened. “Fuck,” I whispered, the word barely audible.

“We settled for sending him to the hospital too.” Sebastian continued, his voice sharper now. “His parents wanted to press charges, until I told them why we’d done it. They shipped him off to London after he was well enough to fly. That was that. And Henry was just...left to deal with it on his own. Which is to say he didn’t deal with it at all. And now, when something like this happens, he spirals all over again. It’s so fucking unfair.”

“It really is,” I said quietly.

Sebastian’s jaw clenched, his eyes dark with barely contained fury. “Henny was the most trusting person in the world, and that fucking asshole took that from him. From him, and who knows how many before or after him. I should have fucking killed him when I had the chance.”

His words sent a shiver through me, but I understood the sentiment completely. If anyone hurt Charlotte, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back either.

“Look at him. He mentioned it once to you after ten fucking years, and it still wrecks him,” Sebastian said bitterly, clicking his tongue in frustration.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, feeling powerless.

“It’s not your fault, pet,” he said, his voice softening. “It’s good that he trusts you enough to talk about it, even if it upsets him. At the very least, he acknowledges now that it wasn’t his fault. It took him years to get there.”

“I’m still sorry.”

Sebastian wrapped his arm more securely around my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Some family your sister’s marrying into, huh?”

“You’re pretty alright,” I told him, turning to wrap my arms around his waist. “You all are.”

“I’m staying here with him tonight. We can see each other tomorrow. How’s that?”

“That’s more than okay, Ash. But I could stay over, keep both of you company,” I offered.

“I don’t think I’ll be the best company.”

“I’ll order food in case Henry wakes up. I’ll find a movie to watch, and you can chain-smoke while we wait,” I said with a small smile.

Sebastian huffed a quiet laugh. “Okay, then. You don’t mind staying on the couch with me in case he wakes up?”

“I don’t mind at all,” I replied, starting to move away.

Sebastian tightened his hold, stopping me. “Thank you for caring,” he said softly, his voice carrying an edge of vulnerability, before kissing my forehead.

“Of course I care.”

“Not about me. About him.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“I do. It’s rare, Ethan. That somebody comes this close and cares for the right reasons. So thank you,” he said again.

I leaned up to kiss him briefly.

Sebastian rested his hand on the nape of my neck, holding me close for a moment longer as he kissed me a couple more times. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you too,” I told him, smiling as I pulled away.

Something warm curled in my chest—something entirely tied to him, to the small, rare curve of his lips. I sighed and left to find pillows and a blanket.